FOCAL SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR 10TH GLOBAL FOOTAGE AWARDS

31 October 2012

SUBMIT HERE

Celebrating achievement in the world of stock and archival footage, the FOCAL International Awards began 10 years ago and are now the leading and most complete set of awards for the footage business in the world today. The 2013 Awards will be presented in association with AP Archive. Entries in all 18 categories are due by December 1, 2012.

FOCAL International, the Federation of Commercial Audio-visual Libraries, is calling for entries to its tenth annual FOCAL International Awards, to be presented in association with AP Archive on May 2, 2013. The FOCAL International Awards celebrate the best use of footage in all variety of genres, across all media platforms. Over the last ten years, the FOCAL International Awards has risen to prominence in the world of stock and archival footage, as well as in the international production community at large.

“We’ve come a long way and raised the profile of the footage industry so much since we began,’ said organiser Julie Lewis, FOCAL’s General Manager. ‘Some of the highlights for me have been Denis Norden receiving a special award for all his blooper footage programmes such as IT’LL BE ALRIGHT ON THE NIGHT; then last year we had the feature film SENNA, which was one hundred percent footage, winning awards in 3 categories plus Rick Prelinger winning the Lifetime Achievement Award; but the most memorable moment was Martin Scorsese coming to personally receive an award for the restoration of the RED SHOES in 2010.’

These and other clips have been edited into a short promo video in celebration of the past ten years and are available to view on the FOCAL website now.

There are 18 award categories, including awards for the best restoration/preservation work. The FOCAL International Awards in association with AP Archive also recognise the researchers, technicians and producers that access, maintain and use this precious resource.

‘The Focal International Awards are a clear reminder of the key role that archive footage plays within the creative process and the incredible nominations that we see each year are testament to the importance of allowing the archive sector to continue to flourish. This has always been one of the main reasons that AP has been honoured to be the main sponsor of the Awards and we look forward to seeing what is submitted on this 10th anniversary,’ commented Alwyn Lindsey, Director of International Archives, AP Archive.

All awards will be presented the evening of the 2nd May 2013 at the glittering award ceremony at the Lancaster London Hotel. As usual, FOCAL expects a sell-out crowd for the awards ceremony. The qualifying period is productions premiered in 2012 and entry is via the FOCAL website until the closing date 1st December.

The Award categories are as follows:

• Best Use of Footage in a History Production
• Best Use of Footage in a Current Affairs Production
• Best Use of Footage in a Factual Production
• Best Use of Footage in an Entertainment
• Best Use of Footage in an Arts Production
• Best Use of Footage in a Production featuring Music
• Best Use of Sports Footage
• Best Use of Footage in an Advert or Short Production
• Best Use of Wildlife and Natural History Footage
• Best Use of Footage on Digital or Non-television Platforms
• Best Use of Footage in a Home Entertainment Release
• Best Use of Footage in a Cinema Release
• Best Archive Restoration / Preservation Project
• Best Archive Restoration / Preservation Title
• The Jane Mercer Footage Researcher of the Year Award
• Footage Employee of the Year
• Footage Library of the Year
• Lifetime Achievement

An additional feature during the ceremony day of 2nd May 2013 will be FOCAL International's What Is Restoration? Conference, supported by the British Film Institute (BFI). This will allow some submissions in the Best Restoration/Preservation categories, which have not necessarily been shortlisted, to be featured as case studies, and in some instances to receive separate commendation. The main awards in this, and other categories, will however be presented at the main awards ceremony.

Those interested in sponsorship opportunities at both the Awards ceremony and restoration conference should contact Anne Johnson at FOCAL International, info@focalint.org or +44 (0)20 3178 3535.

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ABOUT FOCAL INTERNATIONAL
The Federation of Commercial Audiovisual Libraries International is a professional not-for-profit trade association formed in 1985. It is fully established as one of the leading voices in the industry, with a membership of over 300 international companies and individuals.
Its purpose is to facilitate the use of library footage, images, stills and audio in all forms of media production; promote its members - libraries selling content plus those whose serve the industry; provide a platform for members to promote themselves and their interests; encourage good practise in the research, licensing, copyright clearance and use of footage; support, promote and educate on the need to preserve and restore footage and content; act as an information resource for the footage and content industry; offer training in key skills and in the broader appreciation of the footage and content industry.
www.focalint.org